Bruised Hearts

Mami Bond

There standing at the door in all her usual finery is Manoroma Raizada.  Or as she sometimes fancies herself as Mami Bond.

Mamiji:  Hello hi bye bye!  Arnav bitwa are you goingz to ishtand therez all dayz?  Inbhite me in pleaj!

Arnav shakes himself out of stupor and moves out of the way.

Arnav: Umm...Mamiji...what are you doing here?

Mamiji (touching the flowers in her her hair):  Arnav bitwa...I have chome bhery important inphormashion phor you.  Hello hi bye bye!  (Pretending to hold a spying glass) I have been doing some inbhestigation!

Mamiji stops speaking as the others return from the balcony.  Her eyes alight with delight as she spots RK.  She squeals like a school girl and approaches RK.

Mamiji (rubbing her eyes):  Hello hi bye bye!  My eyej checkwa karna paredi.  (Point at RK) Ij it raily yous, Ishupperstar RK?

RK (edging closer to Madhu and away from Mamiji):  Last time I checked I was still RK the Superstar.

Mamiji (claps her hand in excitement):  Hello hi bye bye!  You arej even more handchome in real lifewa than on philmo.  I am Manoroma.  Arnav bitwa ka (batting her eyelashes coyly) young aur bootiful mami.

RK (sidled up to Madhu's side and glaring at Arnav): Mmm...nice to meet you mamiji.

Arnav (seeing RK's discomfort):  So what brings you to Mumbai mami?

Mamiji (ignores Arnav and still focused on RK):  RK bitwa ghib me a pairt in your nekcht philmo.  Mein heroine jaisi bootiful hoon.  Puri duniya needj to chee my claisic bootiful facewa.  Hello hi bye bye!  I can teachwa all the heroines like Priyanka, Katrina, Kareena howj to aict!

RK is now quite terrified of this strange, over the top woman.  She is close to his mother's age yet she behaves like a giddy school girl.  And he is currently the object of her attention.

Khushi (sensing RK's discomfort, gains Mamiji's attention):  Arre waah mamiji!  (Pouting) You're so focused on Mr. Superstar here that you don't even say hi to your (imitating mamiji) Phati Saree?

Mamiji (hugs Khushi):  Phati Saree.  Chorry chorry...I had Ishtarj in my akhons.  Youz heres?  In Arnav bitwa ka hotel roomwa?  (Jumps up in excitement) Hello hi bye bye!  Tum dono phirse saath saath?  (Winking) Huh...huh..Bolo bolo pyara guttars!

Arnav smirks at Khushi as she glares at him.  She silently demands that he clear up mamiji's assumption.  But he stubbornly remains mum and enjoys Khushi's dilemma.

Khushi (trying to distract): Umm...Mamiji...actually...

Madhu (jumping to the rescue):  Khushi won't you introduce us?

Khushi (taking the hint): Of course!  Mamiji please meet Madhu.  She is my best friend and also like a sister to me.

Madhu: Mamiji I am a big fan of yours.

Mamiji (hands to her chest):  Hai?  Fanwa?  Oph me?

Madhu:  Ohh yes Mamiji.  Khushi told me how cleverly you helped her when Arnav was kidnapped.  She told me that you are bevy of knowledge in the subject of espionage.  I am a willing student to learn from you.

Mamiji (blushes in delight):  Hihihi...Thank youj!  I know... daidly!  Bootiful aur brainwa.  No phears, when mamiji ij heres!  I will teachwa yous how to be an ishpy like me.

Arnav (becoming impatient):  Mami you still haven't answered my question.  How and why are you here?

Mamiji (sniffles): Arnav bitwa...I cannot bhijit yous?

Arnav (sighs in frustration):  That's not what I meant mami.  You are always welcome to visit me but you also know that I am in Mumbai for...business.  Unless it's something very important, you would have waited till I got back or would have told me over the phone.

All this time, Tara has been staring at the garish creature in front of her in awe.  She's silly yet witty, old yet young at heart.  She is woman full of contradictions that even a four year child can discern.

Tara (whispers to Khushi): Mama...who is she?  (Giggles) She's funny.

Mamiji's ears picks up little Tara's first word, mama.  As the implication of the word finally hits her, she tears up.  She looks first at Arnav and then at Khushi for confirmation.  At both their imperceptible nods, she sends up a silent prayer to Devi Maiyya.  For the beautiful child standing in front of her is indeed her Arnav bitwa's daughter, her granddaughter.

Mamiji (wipes her tears):  Hello hi bye bye!  My choti bootiful packagewa, I am your papa ka mami aur your dadi!

Tara:  Really?

Mamiji (holds out her arms):  Haan.  Now comej aur hugwa your dadi!

Tara, at first hesitantly, walks to mamiji.  She is enveloped in a warm embrace.  After a while, Tara wiggles out of her arms.

Mamiji:  Phati Saree...she ij just likej yous!

Arnav (annoyed):  What the...!  Excuse me mami but Tara is my daughter too.

Mamiji:  Haan...haan...but Tara ij ekdum chame to chame aj Phati Saree.  Facewa ij completewa cairbon copy!

Khushi (sticks out her tongue at Arnav):  Thank you mamiji.

Madhu, who has been silently arguing with RK, agrees with mamiji.

Madhu:  Mamiji.  You are absolutely right.  Tara is just like her mama.

RK:  She may look like her mama but she also has some of her daddy's qualities.

Arnav:  Thank you!  She does, after all, have 50% of my genes.

The girls just roll their eyes at the boys.  Tara just giggles and wonders.

Silly grown-ups.  All they do is argue.

Arnav (impatient): Ok enough distraction.  Mamiji will you PLEASE answer my question?

Mamij:  Bitwa I phirst took planewa phrom Delhi to Mumbai.  Then I rainted a car aur dribhewa heres to your hoitel.

Arnav (shocked):  Mami you drove the car and didn't hire a driver?  I didn't know you could drive.

Mamiji:  Hello hi bye bye!  Arnav bitwa your mami ij an ekchpert dhriber.  Yous mens alwayj thainking hum aurath caint dribhewa.  But we are baiter aur chafer on roadj.

Khushi and Madhu (in unison):  Hear...hear!  You tell him mamiji!

RK (mutters): I find that hard to believe.  Driving under speed limit does not make you a safe driver.

The girls glare at RK for his hypocritical comment.  Given his history with drinking and driving, he is not one to talk about safety on the road.  And certainly not about their driving skills!

Arnav (rolls his eyes):  Mami...you still haven't answered WHY you are here?

Mamiji:  Arnav bitwa...cho the day Phati Saree bhijited Shantivan, that nightwa I oibheheard talkwa between Sasuma aur dadiji.

Arnav (sighing in frustration): Mamiji you came all the way Mumbai to tell me that you eavesdropped on a conversation between nani and dadi?  It cannot possibly be that scintillating that you needed to share now, days past the original time of the conversation.

Mamiji:  Arnav bitwa...phirst lichen na then dechide if itj important.  I waj in shockwa...cho many secretwas dadiji haj.  Hello hi bye bye!